Clocks Out of Order
by MrsRen
Summary: Running out of time is inevitable. Yet there's never any warning, nothing to signal that everything's seconds from completely shattering into pieces that can't be put back together.


**Written for the Un-Happily Ever After fest, which Frumpologist was kind enough to ask me to help run. Don't be fooled. I did absolutely nothing. I was so happy to participate and crank this out for one of my OTP's. If you give it a chance, I hope you enjoy it as much as you can when it's not a happy ending.**

**Tags: Obliviation, Mild Sexual Content (slash), Angst, Memories.**

**Summary: Running out of time is inevitable. Yet there's never any warning, nothing to signal that everything's seconds from completely shattering into pieces that can't be put back together.**

**My endless thanks to Frumpologist for coming up with this fest, for reading this, and being my forever cheerleader. And also for convincing me not to delete it. And to dreamsofdramione for catching so many mistakes. However, any mistakes are my own, and I'm sure there are some!**

**Prompt: The worst part, the part that absolutely killed him, was that the Obliviation was irreversible.**

* * *

"Hey, Ted?" James starts, and the sound of rattling chains dragging against an unforgiving concrete floor fills the air. The contrast between the god awful sound and his bright voice is dizzying.

Teddy grits his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut while attempting to shift into someone smaller. If he can just make his wrists a bit smaller, he'll be able to slip free of the manacles. "Little busy right now."

Ever optimistic in the face of certain danger, James pretends everything is fine. "Do you want to pick what we eat for dinner this weekend? Y'know, since I ate your naan?" His eyes are bright, the corner of his mouth twitches, and he looks so hopeful that Teddy could go blind from the sight. "Teddy—stop that. You're going to rub the skin raw."

A second passes as Teddy doesn't even breathe, still trying to pull his hand from the iron circling his wrists.

"Though," James drawls, stretching his foot out to bump against Teddy's. "I guess you do like it when I rub you raw."

"Not really the best time." Teddy growls from behind gritted teeth. The chains tighten then, trapping his wrists in tight little circles.

A stark laugh comes from outside the dingy cell, and they both catch sight of cruel eyes—and the sunken in face they're housed in—raking over them. It's the wizard who had gotten the drop on them, and trapped them here—wherever here was.

"Are you going to stand out there like a fucking creep, or are you going to come in here and fight us like a man?" James' voice cracks through the air, all righteous fury, and completely him. But it's not going to help matters.

Yellow tinted teeth are revealed as the man's lip curls back, and he sniggers.

A board slams shut over the bars of the cell window, and they're left in the darkness again.

* * *

The problem about being held captive—

That's wrong. There are several issues Teddy has about being held in a tin box that zaps their magic, but the one that bothers him the most is not knowing how much time has passed.

No windows.

Just a cell crafted to be any wizard's worst nightmare.

So it makes sense that James hasn't lost his spark of happiness—which Teddy loves about him—but there's a time and a place. And that time isn't right now, and it isn't while they're supposed to be working on a way out. Yet there's only so much they can do, and James is quick to remind him of that.

"It's better than listening to you prattle on about what you want for dinner or—" Teddy's voice dies in his throat as footsteps near the cell, pausing just outside the door. The window doesn't open however, and he wonders if it's the same monster lingering on the other side, or if it's a different one.

The footsteps fade away, and he realises he's clenching his teeth so tightly that he can hear a crack go through one of his molars.

James is pale, and there are dark purpling circles beneath his eyes. "I wasn't just asking about dinner, you know," he says easily, the rise and fall of his chest not panicked. "I wanted to know if you wanted to visit that new shop at the end of Diagon."

His eyes nearly bug out of his head. "We're being held captive by someone we don't even recognise, and you want to talk about going to a sex shop?" Teddy hisses, and the last of his patience snaps like a rubber band. "We need to focus on getting out of here."

"We're going to get out of here just fine, Tedward. If this coward was going to do anything to us, he would have done it already. By the time he scrapes together the tiniest bit of courage, Aurors will raid this place." It's the most serious Teddy's seen James since their rendezvous point on the outside of the warehouse district had been ambushed.

It's not enough.

Teddy shakes his head, raking his fingers through the blue strands. "I don't want to depend on other Aurors."

"Yeah." James snorts. "You don't like to depend on anyone, do you? Not even me." He turns away, but not before Teddy can spot the way his face falls.

"What?" It's a dumb, one syllable long response, and he knows just how much his boyfriend hates those. "I don't—"

"Understand? Imagine that." Chains grind against each other as he crosses his arms over his chest. "When we were ambushed, you pushed me out of the way."

His mouth falls open, and of all the times for them to have this conversation, Teddy can't imagine a worse time. "If he'd stunned you, you would have—"

"Recovered." James supplies. "I'm an Auror. Went through the training and everything. Apparently, I spent three years under the second coming of Mad Eye Moody for my boyfriend turned Auror partner to treat me like—"

"Are you fucking serious?" Teddy growls. "First of all, I pushed you out of the way because it was the right call. If you'd been stunned, you would have recovered, sure. But it would have taken even longer for you to be good in a firefight, and that's exactly what happened. Second of all, I'm mind-numbingly in love with you, so I'm sorry if I like to keep you safe, Jamie."

He flinches away from his nickname, and his jaw loosens. "Is there a third thing?"

Teddy sucks in a breath, and the ball of his tongue ring drags against the roof of his mouth. "Yeah," he mutters, knowing the words are going to hurt. "I was your Auror partner before I was your boyfriend, and right now, I need my partner so we can get out of here."

"Dad's on the way," James replies slowly, and doesn't look toward him.

When Teddy looks up, the window is open, but no one is there.

* * *

Teddy's supposed to wake James to take a watch, but as he sits there, watching the now steady rise and fall of James' chest, Teddy can't bring himself to move. He regrets the words he'd said, or at least, how he'd said them.

James is rash, and most of the time—literally ninety percent of the time—it's one of the things Teddy loves about him. He's always willing to rush in at the defense of someone else, and he wears his heart on his sleeve.

Always has, Teddy thinks absently as he remembers James while still in Hogwarts. There was a time where Teddy had taken one look at James between the summers of sixth and seventh, and it had taken him another five seconds to take a long look from head to toe. Cheeky as he was, his hair sticking in all directions in a way that was distinctly Potter, James had known even then.

It had led to several missions out of the country for Teddy as he pushed those thoughts away.

His godbrother—

That's not the point now though. They're long past all of that, the pining when they had been going in circles around the other, wasting all the time they could have had until Harry had intervened.

And while it's a memory for another time—a time when he's not shackled to a wall—the memory of Harry, red as a Weasley, trying to match make his son and godson is as entertaining as anything on the telly.

This entire night is a bust, and he's certain it's well into the next day at this point. Saturday. He and James are meant to be meeting Victoire and her new boyfriend right now, but they're chained to a wall.

"James," Teddy whispers, knocking the toe of his boot against his calf. "Jamie, wake up."

He stirs, twisting awake as he sits up, and rubs his eyes. His jacket slips farther down, revealing a stretch of tanned skin dotted by freckles that Teddy has traced so many times. "'M awake. Is it my turn to take a watch?"

Teddy's quick on his feet to lie. "No." He shakes his head. "It's barely been fifteen minutes, but I need to talk to you."

James glares, but doesn't turn away. "What do you want?"

"What I said—" Teddy breaks off, casting a long look at the door, waiting for any sign of movement. "I need you to know that I'm sorry."

His expression softens. "Don't talk like that, Ted. We'll be out of here soon enough, and I'll let you properly grovel."

It's so Jamie, and Teddy can't find the heart to tell him he's not sure that's going to happen. "Yeah, I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

The smile he gets is blinding, and Teddy stomps down the urge to share his worries. James is only going to tell him that the calvary is on the way—and of course they are, but that doesn't mean they'll arrive in time—and they can continue their squabble later.

So, fearing the worst when footsteps sound in the corridor, Teddy looks at James. His heart is pounding wildly in his chest, and he swallows hard. "You know I love you, right?"

James nods. "Did you know that every time we get in a bind, you tell me that like it's the last time?"

He knows.

The doorknob turns.

"I have to in case it is the last time," Teddy murmurs. "I love you, Jamie."

Panic flashes across James' face as the full brunt of four words slams into him.

* * *

His face is hidden, but the wizard in front of them wears long robes that drag along the filthy concrete slab of a floor they sit on. Teddy's eyes linger on the too long fingernails that curl around the head of a cane, probably just as old as its owner. Dirt is crusted beneath them.

He doesn't speak.

James attempts to rip himself free of the wall, but is thrown back into place by a tilt of the wizard's hand, and there's a vicious crack that Teddy swears he can feel vibrate through James' skull. "James Potter, I've heard all about you." His voice is raspy, and he takes a step forward.

"If you go near him, I'll rip your head from your shoulders," Teddy warns lowly, eyeing the open door. The cell prevents the use of magic, or magical abilities, but he wonders if an open door would give him enough time.

The responding cackle is mocking, and it only solidifies Teddy's threat. "Auror Lupin, you were a casualty, you see. Quite the able young man. I almost didn't get him in time since you shoved him out of the way."

James' eyes widen, and Teddy lifts his chin.

"Like I said, touch him." Teddy bears his teeth, his eyes narrowing. "And there won't be anything left of you for Aurors to find."

"Teddy—" James whispers, and Teddy knows without looking that he's stunned.

"So protective," he muses quietly. "I wonder how far that protection goes."

James snarls, "What the fuck do you want?'

There's a wave of the wizard's hand. "Oh, what I want? Preferably your father, dead. But of course, Head Auror Potter is scarcely alone, is he?"

"Don't," Teddy warns.

There's a delightful sort of giggle that wrenches free of the man's chest, a sound that makes the hair on the back of Teddy's neck stand on end. "Does he always do what you tell him to do? What a neat little trick. How have you trained him so well, I wonder?"

James wiggles in his chains, and Teddy's only certain of one thing.

If her ever manages to get out of these fucking manacles, he is going to rip the wizard in front of him limb from limb. "What is it that you want? You're attacking Harry's son since you can't get to him?"

The nod is faint from under the hood, but it's unmistakable. "Your father," he drawls, and his skeleton like fingers swoop down through the air in a messy arc. "He took someone precious from me, someone incredibly important. Ideally, he would suffer the same, but he's not here."

The words register in James' mind a second before a chuckle fills the air. "Don't touch Teddy."

"I had planned to kill you…" he sneers. "However, poetic justice is so alluring and—"

"You don't make any sense, you sick fuck," James hisses.

The walls are the same, spaced from one another in exactly the same fashion as they had been when they'd been thrown into the cell, but the walls are starting to close. Teddy swears it as a gaze he can't see turns on him. "What do you want?" Teddy asks slowly, his fingers inching down the side of his trousers as if he will find his wand there.

It's gone.

Even though he knows it, the momentary lapse that allows him hope splinters all over again.

"I'll offer you a choice, Auror Lupin. It can be you, or him." It must be his twisted version of generosity, but Teddy doesn't dwell on that anger blooming in his stomach as he recognises the wand movement. "Which—" another laugh "—will—" another flick of his wand "—it—" a downward stroke "—be?"

"Me." Teddy's voice doesn't waver. "Don't touch him." Aurors don't negotiate, not with maniacs, and he's drilled that into James' head so many times in the last two years. It's never stuck either.

"Teddy—" James' voice is wrought with worry. "We don't—"

"I do." Teddy shakes his head, holding James' watery gaze. "I do for you."

From the corner of his eye, he can see robes inching toward him with each step. "If you have any last words, now would be the time. You might not remember them, but they'll be all he has."

"It's the last time, Jamie," Teddy breathes. "I love you."

James is hyperventilating, unable to get any words out, and his face is streaked with tears. "Don't go."

"I'm gonna find my way back to you," Teddy whispers, even though he can taste the lie. He doesn't know if it will even be possible. "That's what I've always done—wandered until I found my way to you."

James reaches for him. Warmth connects with his knee as a crooked wand raises.

"_Obliviate_."

* * *

_James Potter, Seeker for Puddlemere._

_It's the headline splashed across every newspaper in England. There's a photo slapped across the front, James on a broomstick with his hair fucked—as James would put it—but that's not the most eye-catching thing about it, though Teddy has to admit he does look, well—_

_No, the point is that James is upside down and slipping from his broom._

_Free falling._

_To catch the snitch, which is a tiny little thing zipping through the air. He summons his broom, but the match against the Falmouth Falcons is won while the rival Seeker is still technically falling._

_And James is back on his broom, as if nothing had ever happened._

_Teddy's eyes linger on the frame for longer than they should, on the patch of tanned skin that's exposed as his best friend's body slices through the air like a stone through water. He can't get over it, and no matter how many times he says it, James still doesn't understand why no one can let it go._

_Certainly not Ginny, whose reaction had been that she's done all sorts of stunts while with the Harpies, but not once had her bum ever left the broom._

_Teddy, he's—_

_Well, for one he's absolutely, mind-numbingly fucked._

_Maybe James is famous now, the height of his fame memorialised at twenty-one in a kick off match that Teddy wouldn't have missed for anything. Maybe there's thousands of onlookers at every match now, screaming James' name, and maybe there's more than Teddy's ready to admit right now._

_But James is lounged on his couch, his shirt long forgotten across the room, and his arm propped behind his head while he eats all of Teddy's crisps. Despite the awkwardness that had been James' last year of Hogwarts, and Teddy avoiding him, they'd picked up right where they left off once Harry stopped allowing missions outside of the country._

_The problem is they picked up right where they left off._

_James staying the night because it's stifling to stay at home, and it's lonely—he says—at his own flat._

_James stealing all his food._

_James parading around Teddy's flat without a shirt on, revealing just what professional quidditch had done for him in terms of physique._

_James._

_James._

_James._

_Teddy sucks in a breath. He's going to lose his fucking mind._

_"You're out of crisps." James holds up the back, a smirk tugging at the edge of his lips while he flicks through channels on the telly._

_The insult is out of Teddy's mouth before he can stop it. "You fuckbucket!"_

* * *

_Teddy has no choice but to stand by over the next year when James' career as a professional quidditch player ultimately fizzles. It comes as a shock, and Teddy's standing with the Potters when a stray bludger knocks James off his broom, taking a fall that should have killed him._

_Standing in a St. Mungo's waiting room, he hears a healer tell Harry and Ginny in no uncertain terms that a fall like that isn't something anyone should be able to walk away from._

_Clearly, they've never met James._

_Teddy is at his bedside, a silent observer, and Harry looks to him in the knowing way only he has, day after day._

_When James wakes up, Teddy swears that this is it. He'll tell James the truth. Either it will work out, or it won't, but he can't stand wondering anymore._

_Thing is, Teddy doesn't actually follow through until years later._

* * *

_James' recovery from the accident is harsh. It's physical therapy every day for weeks, and then months, and Teddy is there when he can be. Only the thing about time is that it goes on, and there are missions to be taken, and ranks to climb._

_But he's always finding his way back to James. Several times a week even, and he stays at the little London flat that James hates so much. In the mornings, James can be found in the living room, struggling to perform daily stretches._

_Teddy joins him, and James gives a subtle nod when he's too proud to say thanks._

_There are a lot of nights spent watching movies._

_And then there are even more where the words are on the tip of his tongue, but Teddy takes one look at James and remembers all of the reasons why he doesn't want to lose this at all._

* * *

_James isn't one to wait for anything, but Teddy has no warning when he walks into Harry's office to find James standing in Auror robes. It's far-fetched considering training lasts three years, but there are certain perks of being a Potter, James reveals._

_Harry smacks him on the head with a rolled-up newspaper before explaining that James will still be completing his regular training, but has received special permission to allow for in the field training. "It wasn't approved by me," Harry mutters, surly. "He'll be with you, Teddy. Is that alright?"_

_It's far from it._

_"Of course, Harry."_

* * *

_The first thing James weasels his way into—and that's apt to say since he's part Weasley—is a stakeout that he has no business being on._

_"Is anything going to happen?" James asks, and Teddy realises in horror that he's going to be the kind of Auror that wants things to happen. "Teddy?"_

_He shifts on the floor, peering over the windowsill. "We're here to observe, so even if something does—"_

_"You're kidding."_

_"If you signed up just to chase bad guys, you're going to be sorely disappointed. It's a lot of paperwork and quill pushing before you get anywhere."_

_James sucks in a breath and slides closer to Teddy. His breath coats the window, and Teddy forces his head down. "Don't be so rough."_

_"Don't fog up the window. It'll give us away," Teddy mutters._

_James tilts his head, hair falling into his face before he stubbornly pushes it back. "Why do they have you doing this then?"_

_"Pardon?"_

_"I've heard all about you, Auror Lupin."_

_A scenario flashes through his mind of those two words being said in a very different situation than the one they're in now._

_"People talk."_

_Teddy's voice is gruff. "People are full of shite, too. They'll tell anything to new recruits to fuck with them. You should be careful, Jamie."_

_"So the story about Milan isn't true?"_

_Teddy freezes. "I don't want to talk about Milan." Despite the words, the memory rears its ugly head, and it's sobering. "James, Milan isn't a good story to hear."_

_James taps his fingers against the floor. "I heard you saved a little girl."_

_He nods, but the motion is heavy. "Did you hear that I'm the reason she's an orphan, too?"_

_After that, James has nothing to say throughout the entire night._

* * *

_James as a quidditch player was hard._

_Auror James Potter is infinitely more difficult to navigate. Still just as fit, still just as keen to eat all his food, and still the same person Teddy's pretty sure he's in love with. It's a mess, Teddy decides, and distancing himself isn't going to do anything about it._

_James is better with fieldwork now, quick on his feet, but he's dreadfully slow at the paperwork._

_However, he's more like Harry than Teddy anticipates. Teddy idolised Harry as a child; he's the sole reason he became an Auror, but he's heard rumors of former recklessness._

_Anyone in the department that's Harry's age says James is a smidge worse than his father._

_In the field, it's established that Teddy's the Senior Auror. He makes the calls, good and bad, and James doesn't protest._

_At least, he doesn't until Halloween a year after joining the DMLE. It's a routine patrol through the seedier part of Knockturn. It's nothing Teddy hasn't done before, and he's sure the night will end with their shift change, and they'll be late to Rose's party, but arrive in one piece._

_It takes a turn when James notices an alley being used as a drop off point for illegal potions, and chases after them even when Teddy says they need to wait. The only choice is to follow James, weaving through passages in Knockturn that even he's never seen before._

_And ultimately, it's the wrong call._

_One of the wizards sends "Bombarda Maxima" and just on the other side is Diagon, an eight year old girl is hit with the tumbling rock of the wall. Luckily, she's fine, and the family doesn't seek monetary compensation, but it's the first night that Teddy can't even look at James._

_Once they're back at the Ministry, Teddy sends James away so he can file the paperwork._

* * *

_It's not even Halloween anymore, but two in the morning when James Apparates into his flat, directly into his bedroom. "Before you kick me out—" James starts._

_Teddy sits up in his bed and rubs his eyes groggily. "Are you drunk? You could have splinched yourself."_

_He reeks of a pub, and James rocks back on his feet. "I'm drunk," he confirms._

_"Right," Teddy groans. "Why don't you just get some sleep and we'll talk in the morning?" Bare-chested, Teddy rakes his fingers through turquoise coloured hair. "What is it?"_

_James' eyes shift to the empty side of his bed. "Could I share with you?"_

_"You don't want to use the guest room? You can't wank in my bed, Jamie."_

_James flushes bright red. "No, I just don't want to be—"_

_Motioning toward the bed, the corner of Teddy's mouth twitches. "I'm kidding. Come on. There's a rubbish bin on your side. If you vomit, use that."_

_The bed dips as James crawls in, and there's a thud when he kicks off his shoes. "Teddy?"_

_"What?"_

_James rolls over to face him. "I'm sorry I disobeyed you. I didn't think—"_

_Teddy squeezes his shoulder. "We can deal with that tomorrow, but it will be alright. Her parents see it as a terrible accident, but she's going to make a full recovery. We've all made mistakes. You've just gotta learn from it."_

_There's a deep breath before James thanks him again._

_Teddy knows that the only reason James is in his bed is because he can't stand to be alone, but something stupid is on the tip of his tongue. Before he can blurt something, he mutters, "Seriously, don't wank in my bed."_

_"I think you'd like it." James' soft reply is delayed, and Teddy is too far gone to remember it the following morning._

* * *

_There's one attempt at dating on Teddy's side before it unsurprisingly blows up in his face. While he doesn't think it's going to go well when he's comparing the bloke to James, he knows he needs to try. At the very least, he has to try or he'll lose his head in the middle of the field._

_His date doesn't show, and it's a week later when Harry traps them in a room with a shake of his head as he runs a hand tiredly down his face. "You've both been going in circles for too long. Fix it."_

_"Harry—" Teddy starts and horror consumes his features. "Don't shut that door."_

_Green eyes stare back at him, and Harry smirks. "Figure it out, both of you. I'll be back in an hour." The door closes with a click that signals finality and Teddy wants to retch._

_"So," James starts uneasily, and he's staring at his shoes while he shoves his hands into his pockets. "Is there anything you wanted to say?"_

_He glares at him._

_"What?" James asks. "Obviously Dad thought there was something—"_

_Teddy closes the gap between them in three large steps, and he fidgets with the piercing in his ear. James stumbles back, colliding with the edge of a table tucked away for storage. "Don't play dumb, Jamie. It doesn't suit you."_

_He lifts his chin, defiance etched across his features, and the words that roll off the tip of his tongue only make Teddy want to throttle him. "Yeah? Well, denial doesn't suit you, but it's never stopped you. What is it, Teddy? You think I'm too young?"_

_Swallowing, Teddy looks away from him. "That's one thing."_

_James shoves his shoulders, palms slamming roughly against him, and Teddy takes a forced step backward._

_"What the fuck?" Teddy groans, and there's another shove, this one harder and against his stomach. "James, you're not going to beat a confession out of me, you realise that, right?"_

_"You're six years older than me, Teddy. While that might have meant something when I was twelve and fancied myself half in love with you already—"_

_"You—what?"_

_James' brows knit together, and his cheeks flush. "That's beside the point. The point here is that six years doesn't matter in the big picture! I'm twenty-three."_

_"I'll be thirty next year."_

_"Yeah, you're old, whatever. I like older men," James says flippantly._

_Teddy can't help the laughter that bubbles up and breaks free from his chest. "I didn't say I was old, James, but please tell me how you really feel."_

_"How I really feel?" James challenges, and Teddy realises his words sound an awful lot like a dare._

_And James has never turned down a dare._

_"There are other reasons—"_

_"They're bullshite and you know it."_

_"We're field partners, James. It's bad enough that I'm already worrying about you because Merlin knows when you're going to attempt another life defying stunt and—"_

_James snorts, fingers closing on the lapels of Teddy's jacket. Too close, he's too close. "Sometimes I want your attention and the best way to get it is to—"_

_"James, no!"_

_He shrugs, a coy smile curving his lips. "James, yes," James retorts. "We're partners, I know. But other Aurors have done the same thing."_

_Teddy doesn't get the chance to spit out the words he's thinking since James beats him to it._

_"And yeah, some of their partnerships suffered because of it. Us though?" He smacks Teddy's chest. "We're way better together than we are apart." James' fingers slide down his chest, tracing hard lines that lead down his abdomen, and he murmurs, "I'm tired of pretending all I want is to be your friend when it's not even close."_

_It feels like a moment that's years in the making as Teddy cradles James' face in his hands, and presses his lips to his. Fingers curl into his shirt, fisting the fabric and they stumble backward._

_The rickety old table collapses and James' back meets the wall roughly._

_"Don't ask me if I'm alright," James growls._

_Teddy's certain he can feel his own smirk. "Wasn't planning on it."_

_It's all teeth and nails raking down his back when James pushes his jacket to the floor._

_Teddy's teeth skim the soft skin of James' throat while James slides his hands under Teddy's shirt._

_The door creaks open, and immediately slams shut before they have time to scramble. "Yeah." Harry's voice is muffled, but audibly flustered. "They've sorted things out just fine," he tells someone._

* * *

_Their first date is after a patrol in Diagon Alley, and considering who the two of them are, it goes about as smoothly as they expect._

_Teddy purchases tickets at a muggle cinema in the center of London, all while teasing James that he's too eager to see the movie._

_"Too eager to sneak a hand down your trousers in the dark, you mean," James whispers in his ear, chuckling when he turns red._

_"Two tickets please," Teddy rasps, and slaps the money on the counter, forgetting his change when he grabs the ticket stubs. "You're a fucking menace."_

_James loops his arm through his with a smug smile. "You're the one that likes me."_

_"That I do."_

* * *

_It takes half an hour before something goes wrong. The fire alarm blares, and he looks to James. Once outside in the lobby, they learn it was a prank played by some teenagers, but the mess caused by the sprinkler system shuts down the cinema anyway._

_So they go for ice cream. James swipes it across Teddy's nose and Teddy bumps him with his hip._

_James stumbles backward and trips into a fountain._

_In November._

_As far as first dates go, it's not the worst Teddy's ever had._

* * *

_For all the time they've taken to get to where there are now, it only makes sense for that trend to continue, doesn't it? Wrong. James isn't having it, and Teddy finds that he's strapped in for whatever comes next._

_James is right, and he gloats about it often, but their missions have never run smoother than when they're on the same page—in all respects. Even if James does pinch his arse more than he ought to during patrols._

_In fact, in terms of how quickly Teddy and James' relationship moves, there's a bet that spreads through the Potter and Weasley families. When are they going to move in together? It's the question Teddy wonders about himself._

_James had a drawer already, but now he has half of Teddy's closet. His hair gets everywhere in the shower, and he spends more time at Teddy's flat than he does at his own._

_So really, James already lives with him in every way without putting a label on it._

_James moves in right in the middle of May by saying so. "I'm moving in."_

_Teddy glances at him from the bed, his chest still bare, and tilts his head as James wraps a towel around his waist. "Pardon?"_

_The tops of James' ears turn red. "Um, I just mean that it's a pain to run out of clothes and have to go back to my flat—"_

_His face softening, Teddy laughs. "I'm kidding. I've been thinking about it."_

_"Yeah?" James crawls onto the bed. "Were you ever planning to tell me about those thoughts?"_

_"Eventually, but you beat me to it like the impulsive person you are." Teddy reaches up, burying his fingers in dark coloured hair. "Plus, think of all the things that come with moving in together."_

_James' lips press together. "Mmm, like what?"_

_Teddy reaches between his thighs to show him exactly what._

* * *

_"What do you mean you ate my naan?" Teddy growls. He peels off his Auror uniform, leaving it and his robes discarded over a chair. "James?" Nothing. "Stop staring at my chest."_

_"Don't take your shirt off then!"_

_"Where's my fucking naan?"_

_James grimaces, and points to a familiar box, now empty, that's been thrown in the trash. "I ate it."_

_Teddys stops dead in his tracks, still glaring, and turns toward the cupboard. "Fine, I'll just—"_

_"We're out of crisps, too."_

_No one ever mentions this part of moving in together._

* * *

_James doesn't know how to keep his hands to himself, and while it's one of the things Teddy enjoys, the time and place for it isn't in the middle of a mandatory DLME meeting over security._

_It's not when Harry's staring at them because Teddy's knee slams against the underside of the table because James decides to wrap his fingers around the length of Teddy's cock. "Everything alright, Auror Lupin?" Harry asks, and while his voice is strictly that of the Head Auror, his eyes are bright with amusement._

_James' hand strokes him through his trousers, his grip tightening just enough._

_"Fine," Teddy manages, and he hopes his voice doesn't sound breathy to anyone else. He swats James' hand away and shifts uncomfortably in his seat._

_Minutes after the meeting ends, Teddy makes a break in the other direction from James. He says that he needs to deliver a report and then they'll leave for their patrol, and James sends him off with a crude salute and—after looking both ways to be sure no one is around to see it—a crude thrust of his hips._

_Twenty minutes later, Teddy makes his way back to their floor, to their shared office, and a door opens. Giving a low creak, Teddy ignores it as he fidgets with the sole piercing in his ear that Harry allows him to have while on duty._

_A hand clamps down over his mouth and hauls him into the closet._

_"Don't hit me," James murmurs, fingers dipping into Teddy's trousers as he flicks the button open. "We've got twenty minutes before we're due on patrol."_

_This isn't happening, not in a Ministry cupboard. Not that he hasn't fantasized about it, but reality is completely separate from—_

_"You're thinking too much," James whispers, his lips skimming Teddy's throat. "I've already cast a silencing charm and a confundus on the door. Let me—"_

_Teddy catches his hands, but only after James drops his trousers to the floor for him. "We can't, James."_

_"You don't want my mouth on you then?" James asks softly, his lips closing around the shell of Teddy's ear as he nips it. "My lips wrapped around your cock while it's in my throat?"_

_It's a fucking bad idea, but Teddy caves. Releasing James' hands, he watches as he sinks to his knees. "You know, DMLE cupboards aren't really, ah—"_

_James licks a strip of the underside of his cock, eyes wide, and he closes his lips around the tip. Bobbing his head, taking each inch father into his mouth while sitting on his knees, James is everything Teddy can't get enough of._

_It's almost enough to make him lose his train of thought._

_"—meant for this," Teddy groans. His head falls back to the wall, and his fingers knot in dark curls as James moans around him._

* * *

_The second year goes as quickly as the first, but the night of their first anniversary is a memory Teddy relives often. Try as he might, James' plans fall through, and Teddy suggests a night in instead. "It doesn't have to be a fancy dinner, Jamie," he murmurs, peppering kisses down James' neck. "I just want you anyway. Everyone else would be background noise."_

_They opt to watch a movie, but they only make it through thirty minutes before they lose interest._

_James straddles him, rolling his hips, and peels his shirt off. "Teddy?"_

_Teddy gives a muffled sound while his fingers trace the waistband of James' pajama bottoms. "Yeah?" He rolls them, pressing James into the sofa while resting in the cradle his hips make. "Jamie?"_

_"I love you so fucking much."_

_Smiling, Teddy presses those exact words into every inch of James' skin and drags them from his boyfriend several more times, in gasps, in screams, in moans, until the early hours._

* * *

_"Observation," Harry reminds them. He pushes the file into Teddy's hands. "There's a new potion that's on the horizon. Illegal, obviously, but also very dangerous. I want you to watch this point for a suspected drop-off. If you see anything, alert the Aurors. Back-up will be there instantly."_

_James nods, a cocky little shake of his head that he's never quite grown out of. "Aye, aye, captain."_

_Harry swats his son's crude two finger salute out of the air. "Teddy, back-up," he says once more._

_"We won't need back-up. We're the best Auror partners the department has," James boasts._

_At the time, Teddy knows it's true. They are, but he doesn't have the wits to consider how anything could happen._

_And he wishes that he'd considered that, but the regret is erased the moment it appears._

* * *

The stench of antiseptic is what wakes Teddy. He props himself up in the bed, looking around to recognise a room in St Mungo's, and to his own horror, he sees a plaque on the door that terrifies him.

The Janus Thickney ward.

The bed is soft below him, the blanket cozy and draped over him. There's no one in the room with him, just a chart on the wall.

His head feels like it's splitting open, and he's not certain why it's taken him so long to notice it. The pain is all-encompassing, and he clutches his head, tucking it between his knees.

The door swings open, and Teddy sighs in relief. "James? What's going on?"

James is older than he remembers, and there's a scar next to his right eyebrow. It's new, there's no doubt about it. Teddy would have remembered. He spends too much time pranking Al with James' face to get any of the details wrong. James' eyes widen and the styrofoam cup in his hand crashes to the floor. Coffee coats his shoes, and the colour drains from his face. "You're awake."

"Is that—is that a bad thing?"

James looks at him as if he's seen a ghost. "No, it's the best thing," James whispers.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm your best friend, Teddy."

Teddy looks at him, not understanding. James is still— "You're not in Hogwarts anymore, are you?"

He settles in the seat next to the bed, pulling it closer. "I'm an Auror now. You're my partner."

The words make sense separately, but together, Teddy doesn't understand. "What?"

"We were on a mission," James begins, his voice raw, and his eyes begin to water. "We were on a mission and you said we needed to call for back-up. I fucked up. We were captured by someone with a grudge against my dad."

"Why did they have a grudge?"

James sighs. "He was a creep, first of all, but he fell in love with a muggle He abused her, kept her locked up in his basement, and when Dad rescued her, he Obliviated the woman. That's the short version, but in his perverse head, he thought hurting someone close to me would be revenge since he couldn't get to Dad."

"Me?" Teddy asks, his voice echoing in the room. "Why would he—"

James heaves a sigh, resting his elbows on his knees. "I don't know. You're my best friend, the person I'm closest to. He—" James breaks off, wiping his eyes. "He gave you a choice. He could have Obliviated me, but—"

In an instant, even without all of the facts, Teddy understands. "No," he whispers. "Not you."

"Yeah, that's what you said. I'm so sorry. It's my fault." There are dark circles under James' eyes, and it's clear he hasn't slept in days. "The healers will release you soon. We live together, but I suppose you won't remember that."

"We do?"

He nods. "Best friends, you know? We're roommates."

Roommates.

Something about the word settles into the hollowest place of his chest, and he wonders what's missing.

So much, he thinks.

There's a clock on the wall, reading that it's noon, but it doesn't matter. Not really.

Not when the clocks are out of order.

* * *

**I know this was wayyyy outside my normal ship, but it would mean the world to me if you commented and left me your thoughts. **


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